Skis normally used on snow or ice comprise a lower surface, for sliding on the snow or ice, and an upper surface. These upper and lower surfaces are connected by two lateral surfaces. Generally, the lower portions of these lateral surfaces are provided with metallic edges. For skis known in the art, the lateral surfaces generally are substantially perpendicular to the lower and upper surfaces.
To provide stability and ease in starting a turn, the central portion of the lower surface of skis known in the art is narrower than the front and rear portions, and the lateral surfaces have a concave longitudinal profile. As a result, the upper surface of such skis is likewise of variable width, such width being less in the central portion, and greater at the ends. Accordingly, the two edges forming the border of the upper surface along its length are curvilinear.
The variable width structure of such skis tends to complicate their manufacture, and is an impediment to mass production. Such structure likewise increases the difficulty of forming upper edges for the skis having sufficient mechanical resistance. Further, to enable the addition of decoration to the upper surface of the ski, relatively complex reference and centering means are required.
The present invention is a ski having a novel shape which overcomes the indicated disadvantages of conventional structures.
In a preferred embodiment, the upper surface of the ski of the invention has a constant, not differing width or substantially constant, width over the entire length of the body of the ski. Thus, the upper edges of the ski are parallel and rectilinear, or substantially so. Where this structure of the ski is formed by pre-impregnation of fibrous materials, the formation of the fold at the level of the upper edges is facilitated, and, thereby, the fibers are positioned in a more regular fashion. As a result, the upper edges of the ski have greater mechanical resistance.
Furthermore, because the upper edges are rectilinear and parallel, simpler apparatus can be used to manufacture the ski. In effect, it is simpler and less expensive to provide the various required apparatus, such as molds, for shapes which are primarily rectilinear.
The rectilinear and parallel edges of the upper surface serve as simple and useful references for applying decoration to the upper surface of the ski.
Constant width of the upper surface permits increased standardization of the materials-used in constructing the ski. In effect, the width of the upper surface can be determined independently of the length of the skis to be formed, over at least a certain range of variation. Moreover, the necessity of preparing lateral cutouts of variable shape can be avoided. Yet further, the upper surface of the ski can be formed from bands of constant width, independently of the length of the ski to be constructed.
To achieve these and other objectives, the upper surface of a preferred embodiment of the ski of the invention has a substantially constant width over its entire length, and is connected to the lower surface by lateral surfaces which are inclined, i.e., bevelled. The angle of inclination of these lateral, i.e., side surfaces varies along the length of the ski as a function of the thickness of the ski, and as a function of the width of its lower surface.
In a particularly preferred embodiment, the upper surface of the ski is narrower than the narrowest portion of the lower surface. Thus, in this embodiment, the lateral surfaces converge upwardly, and thereby are capable of carrying inscriptions which are visible both from the side and from the top of the ski.
The constant width of the upper surface of the preferred embodiment of the ski of the invention allows for a further particularly preferred embodiment of the ski, characterized by symmetry along a vertical median longitudinal plane. The constant width of the upper surface is also compatible with dissymmetrical embodiments.